1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a coupler for linking a coach and another coach in a miniature train, which has a plural of coaches, running on a given form of rail track, and more particularly, to a coupler of which a coupler arm is movable back and forth, right and left so that the said train may run with the interval between a coach and another coach being narrow like an actual train while it runs on a straight section of the rail track, and also of which a coupler arm gets to stretch forward out of the fixed member so that the said train may run smoothly with the interval between a coach and another coach being wide while it runs on a curve section of the rail track, and further of which a head is replaceable so easily that the coupler may be used compatibly for other miniature train products by replacing only the head of the coupler.
Generally, a miniature train comprises a plural of coaches like an actual train, and such miniature train gets to run on a given form of rail track while its wheels are spinning around by a power transmission means.
In the miniature train comprising a plural of coaches, a coach (2) and another coach (3) is linked by a coupler (1) as shown in FIG. 1. The conventional coupler comprises a fixed member (10) to be fixed to an underframe of a coach and a coupler head part (20). The fixed member (10) has an action room formed therein and it has also an axle rod, which is to be combined axially with a coupler arm of a coupler head part, built in a given position in the action room (11), and also, an elastic panel (13) is installed along with the inside wall of the action room of the fixed member, as shown in FIG. 2. The elastic panel enables the coupler head part to be centered at all times.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2, the coupler head part (20) has a hole (22) formed in the rear end of the coupler arm (21), through which the axle rod (12) as built in the action room is inserted for combination, and it has also a head (24) with a hook (23) in its fore end, which links a coach with another coach.
The linking of a coach with another coach by the said coupler is to be accomplished by locking the hook (23) of the head (24) of the coupler head part (20) with another hook each other while the fixed member (10) is fixed to the underframe of the coach by a fixing means.
Such miniature train, which has a plural coaches linked by the said coupler, gets to run on a given form of rail track while its wheels are spinning around by a power transmission means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the conventional coupler in the miniature train as abovesaid has the axle rod as formed in the fixed member inserted into and combined axially with the hole of the coupler arm of the coupler head part and thereby it gets to turn right and left only by a given angle, there are following problems; firstly, a length of the coupler arm of the coupler head part has to be lengthened so that the miniature train may run smoothly on a curved section of the rail track without any interference between a coach and another coach, and furthermore, the miniature train do not look like an actual train because the interval between a coach and another coach is too wide, which causes a difficulty in manufacturing a miniature train having a complete fine appearance; secondly, and since the coupler arm of the coupler head part is fixed axially to the fixed member, when the head of the coupler head part happens to be damaged, it is impossible to repair and maintain it, and furthermore, since the head of the coupler head part and the coupler arm are formed in one body, it can not be used compatibly for other miniature train models of other companies.